- Hogon-in Temple: the best autumn foliage spot in Arashiyama
- Tenryuji Temple and its view on the mountain
- Nison-in Temple and its autumn foliage tunnel
- Giou-ji Temple and its beautiful moss
- Avoid the crowds at Enri-an Temple
- Watch our special video of all these spots
Hogon-in Temple: the best autumn foliage spot in Arashiyama
During Koyo season, Hogon-in Temple (famous for its beautiful garden) and is open to the public from the beginning of October to the beginning of January. You can visit the Shishiku garden, that is usually not open to the public, so expect the place to be crowded. Illuminations are usually also available at the end of the opening period.
Go to Hogo-in using what3words: ///goes.avoiding.fondest
Tenryuji Temple and its view on the mountain
Tenryu-ji Temple is registered as a World Heritage of Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. It was built in 1339. The main attraction here is the spacious Sogenchi Pond Garden, that makes use of the Arashiyama landscape as a part of the design of the garden. It is called “Shakkei” or “Borrowed scenery.”
You can witness some very beautiful landscapes, especially in the morning with the sunshine streaming down.
Go to Tenryu-ji using what3words: ///cones.officer.fled
Nison-in Temple and its autumn foliage tunnel
For Japanese people, the autumn foliage in Nison-in Temple is very well known as the “Momiji-no-Baba”(literally, the ‘Autumn Leaf Horse-Riding ground’). The autumn foliage lining up along the approach, with a length of about 200 meters, looks like a tunnel. There are also places where you can enjoy green tea with Japanese sweets and relax!
Go to Nison-in using what3words: ///rocky.inflame.table
Giou-ji Temple and its beautiful moss
Giou-ji Temple silently stands in the middle of a bamboo forest. It is said that a woman named Giou, who was abandoned by Kiyomori Taira, became a priest because of her loss of love and moved to this temple. It is famous for its moss garden. There is now word to express the beauty of the way the ripe red leaves fall in the bamboo forest. Early December is the best season to visit.
Go to Giou-ji using what3words: ///averts.circling.mission
Avoid the crowds at Enri-an Temple
Enri-an is still sort of a hidden area, open only during the autumn season. It is actually a bit hard to find if you don’t have a map (we recommend you use the link below), but it’s worth visiting. This area is famous for having ‘real’ red foliage, so if you want to take a good picture with red foliage, this place should be on your list. The fallen leaves on the ground is a must see, because it looks as if the ground is blanketed with a red carpet.
Go to Enri-an using what3words: ///slogans.believer.patrol
